Page 30 - Toy&Hobby Magazine Aug-Oct 2020

ATA UPDATE BY ALICE SANDERSON
Looking forward
THESE are very uncertain times for everyone across the world. In Australia, while all states
are on various stages of containing COVID-19, Victoria’s outbreak has again become a challenge. Like many other businesses in the midst of this, the Australian Toy Association is continuing to work remotely in order to ensure the health and safety of our team. We will ensure there are no visible interruptions for members, and we can all still be contacted through our usual channels.
In the current climate we are fortunate to be
in an industry that is in the most part surviving. However, there will be some of our members who might be struggling, and the ATA would like you to know that we are here to help, wherever possible, during these unprecedented times.
The Australian Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair is scheduled to take place from 28 February to
3 March 2021. Given the current lockdowns in Victoria and the uncertainty at this time we will postpone the first round of bookings until September. By then we should have a better idea of where we are positioned across the country with the containment of the virus.
We are currently investigating all possible options for this key annual event as the health and safety of all our exhibitors and attendees is foremost in our minds. We will therefore look at all possibilities that are available to us for 2021, should this be necessary.
We will keep members and the industry updated as we navigate the current situation. One valuable resource the ATA can offer
families during this time of lockdown and home- schooling is the Value of Play (VOP) initiative
which is an excellent resource and offers helpful tips for families spending iso time together.
Play is an important activity for children and at a time when they are not able to socialise with their friends there are many options on how
to keep children active and healthy as well as develop physically, emotionally and intellectually with toys to assist. The Value of Play is an ideal resource for games, fun activities, playful tips and ideas on how to make the most of this family time together.
The ATA is passionate about supporting not only our members but also kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. We do this mainly through our charity the ATACF however from time to time, we also look to support other charities who are doing such a great job.
With Christmas around the corner and
many families in need, the ATA this year will
be assisting The Smith Family’s ‘Toy and Book Appeal’ reach some of those children who are in a position of disadvantage.
Each year the charity runs its annual appeal, delivering upwards of 32,000 Toy and Book packs to families right across the country. It is expected that this demand will be even higher this year with some families feeling the effect of both the bushfires and the pandemic.
Given this, The Smith Family is hoping
for support in donations of toys or generous discounts on discontinued or surplus stock and any ATA members or industry businesses who are in a position to assist, please get in touch with the team today at admin@austoy.com.au.
As an update, for our industry, the ATA has established a Committee to identify methods in producing, re-using and recycling the products that we provide.
We hope to develop a resource to help our members look forward to success in a world confronting environmental and social challenges
30 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER AUGUST / SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020
Lockdown in
March offered
our PR Company,
Cavanagh PR,
an opportunity
to reach out to
ATA members
and promote their
products through Cavanagh’s contacts with influencers. The idea was to reach parents that would be looking for additional activities for their children who were being schooled at home and unable to socialise with friends.
The ATA put a call out to the membership offering them the opportunity to participate and we had a great response with over 60 companies getting on board and 35 influencers very happy to collaborate and support these members. A promotion also ran on Geelong’s Bay FM to promote the product offered by the members while endorsing the Geelong stores carrying that product. It proved to be very effective for those companies that participated.
“Our aim is to also identify ways that large scale recycling and reuse programs can be developed to ensure less ends up in landfill.”
via their economy and local communities. It will be designed to guide companies towards corporate sustainability leadership, and we are continually evolving to ensure we remain relevant and able to support our members in this area.
Our aim is to also identify ways that large scale recycling and reuse programs can be developed to ensure less ends up in landfill.
Lastly, thank you to our industry for working with the ATA during these challenging times and a reminder to you all of our Annual General meeting on November 19.
On behalf of the Board and Staff, we would like to wish you all well and we look forward to working with you to ensure the best outcome possible. ❉